In business, we love to calculate the cost of hiring: recruitment budgets, agency fees, hours spent in interviews. But rarely does anyone count how much a company loses when a new hire quits after just one month.
And yet – that’s a loss too. And often, a very predictable one.
When a great hire turns into a loss
You find the perfect candidate. They accept the offer. Start the job. And then… two months later – they leave.
The company thinks: “They weren’t the right fit.”
The candidate says: “I knew from day one – this place isn’t for me.”
And the sad part? They’re both kind of right.
Because most of the time, it’s not about skills. It’s about the lack of structure – no proper onboarding, no support, no clarity.
Case: great person, strong team – and still a miss
Recently I filled a position for a large client – a major international financial company was looking for a strong marketing lead. It took almost two months. Five rounds of interviews. The team loved the candidate. The candidate loved the product.
He joined, started to get involved, showed initiative. And one and a half months later – he quit.
So what happened?
From our follow-up conversation, it was clear: there was no structure. No onboarding plan. No regular feedback. The team was overloaded, and he was simply “added to the chats and given a couple of tasks.”
The manager was genuinely surprised: “But he’s a grown-up professional, shouldn’t he figure things out himself?”
That right there – is a common trap.
Onboarding is not an HR checklist
Many managers believe onboarding is HR’s job. Paperwork, welcome kits, orientation sessions — done.
Paperwork, welcome kits, orientation sessions – done.
But onboarding is not an HR process.
It’s a management responsibility.
Yes, HR can design the structure, highlight risk points, suggest improvements.
But if there’s no plan, no support, no feedback from the team – no HR can “rescue” that experience.
So let’s be honest: what’s easier?
- To sit down once and plan out the first 3–4 weeks,
- Or to hire all over again, pull the team back into interviews, and restart the onboarding?
Good onboarding is not an extra chore – it’s how you protect your investment.
What actually works
You don’t need a huge budget or a full-scale project. Here’s what brings results:
- A clear, simple plan for the first few weeks
- A go-to person who’s available and supportive
- Regular, human feedback (not just “here’s what you did wrong”)
This reduces anxiety, builds clarity faster, and – most importantly – sends the message:
You’re not alone here. You matter. We’ve been waiting for you.
Why this matters for business
Every early exit is not just “bad luck”.
It’s a hit:
- to salaries and sign-on bonuses
- to your team’s time spent onboarding
- to productivity, when tasks stall
- to your reputation, if the person shares a negative experience
And worst of all — it affects those who stay. People get tired of turnover.
Bottom line
Good onboarding is what makes that hire deliver real value.
And as a recruiter who’s accountable for the result, I want every person I place to stay and succeed.
That’s why I always talk to clients not just about finding the right people – but also about how they’ll land and grow from day one.
Because that’s what really makes it work in the long run.